Adelaide Hendricks, 19, of Cushing will relinquish her title of “Maine Lobster Festival Delegate” during the upcoming 77th Maine Lobster Festival in early August. Hendricks was the first to hold the title of “Delegate” after the Festival relaunched its contest in 2023 allowing both men and women to serve as representative of the Festival and the lobster industry.
Adelaide Hendricks of Cushing is the first Maine Lobster Festival Delegate. MLA photo.
During the year Hendricks has talked to hundreds of people about the Maine lobster fishery. “I try to give people a deeper appreciation of lobstering, of how the lobster goes from the water to your lobster roll. It’s hard work and it’s dangerous,” she said. Hendricks’ mother grew up on Vinalhaven and her grandfather was a lobsterman. Today her brother fishes from South Thomaston.
To become a delegate, each contestant had to pay a $100 application fee which was donated to a charity of the contestant’s choice. After a one-on-one interview with the contest’s judges and a review of public service activities, all contestants attended a dinner at the Samoset Resort where they spoke publicly about their individual charity choices and answered questions designed to reveal their knowledge about the fishery.
Hendricks chose the Alzheimer’s Association of America for her charitable organization. Her father John was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s during her junior year in high school. “I was really glad to get the chance to talk about the Association and what it’s doing,” she said. When the time came for questioning about the lobster industry, she was asked about the relationship between lobstering and North Atlantic right whale entanglements. “I got hit with that!” she laughed.
Hendricks and Gov. Mills. MLF photo.
Since being named the 2023 Delegate, Hendricks has participated in many local and regional public events. She attended the Big E fair in Springfield, Massachusetts, last September where she met members of the state’s Congressional delegation and Governor Mills. “During Maine Day I stood in front of a woman selling lobster rolls. She had a big picture of her granddaughters at her stand, who are lobstermen. It was a busy spot, I talked to so many people,” Hendrick recalled. “But I also heard so many stories from people about their connection to the lobster industry. I think that’s my favorite part, making connections with people.”
Hendricks attended the University of Southern Maine during the school year, where she is majoring in elementary education. As soon as college ended for the summer, the pace picked up for Hendricks. “I have something almost every Saturday. Last weekend it was a fair in Waldoboro, then it’s the Rockland Summer Solstice, Boothbay’s Windjammer Days, the Yarmouth Clam Festival, and of course, the Lobster Festival,” she said.
The new Delegate will be chosen on the first evening of the Maine Lobster Festival, which runs from July 31 to August 4 this year. Hendricks acknowledges that she will miss meeting new people as she has during the past year. “I’ll miss hearing people’s stories. It’s been an honor to do this. I’ve grown up in this community and now I love it even more,” she said.